United States: Auto Rental Numbers

AUTO RENTAL Beautiful Pacific Coast Highway on the California Coast Automobile rental is a major industry in the United States, addressing the needs of foreigners and citizens alike. Only a valid driver's license from the traveler's country of origin, purchase of minimum insurance, and a major credit card are generally required. Excellent discount plans for foreign visitors abound. Some of these can be arranged through an airline or travel agent prior to your visit or directly with the rental company itself. Driving is the true national pastime; gasoline is cheap and easily available everywhere. The highway system is extensive and well maintained. While urban driving may prove daunting (perhaps terrifying) for the novice visitor, motoring through the wide open spaces of the United States is an exhilarating experience. After all, this is the car culture, to the ultimate degree. The experience of driving a road like Route 66 in a convertible American muscle car will impart an insight on U.S. culture available no other way. A few key points about U.S. roads and regulations: If the police stop you for a driving violation, do not try to pay a fine on the spot because it may easily be interpreted as attempted bribery. There are strict laws about drinking and driving, and they are enforced decisively. Speed limits are clearly posted (in miles per hour only, usually) and are enforced. Insurance is of utmost importance and should provide coverage of all passengers and drivers for accidental injury and death. An insurance card for nonresident, interstate motorists is available on request. Regarding U.S. rental car sizing: "Economy" or "Compact" means a car that would be called "Standard" in Europe. The term "Standard" means a car the length of the QE2. U.S. parking spaces are larger, though. The U.S. is also the perfect place to travel in a camper or motor home, called RVs, which can provide substantial amenities and office space. Excellent overnight parks can be found everywhere, some with hotel-quality infrastructure such as room service, swimming pools, spas, and so forth. The American Automobile Association (AAA) offers maps, trip-planning services, emergency roadside assistance, and insurance policies (compulsory in most of the U.S.)   A foreign visitor is entitled to benefits if holding a current membership in the visitor's own national auto club. Contact: American Automobile Association (AAA)Tel: [1] (407) 253-9100 Fax: [1] (407) 253-9107 Web: www.aaa.com One wonderful thing about Americans and their cars is that they usually tend to be happy to flip you the keys and say, "Here, it's yours for the night/weekend/week." If you are not blessed with such friends, family, or business associates, it is easy to find rental cars in even the smallest of U.S. towns. Often, the automobile is the only way to reach smaller towns and remote manufacturing facilities. There are always local rental operations giving the big chains a run for their money. Inquire locally. Following are some of the major rental agencies' phone numbers: Alamo  [1] (800) 327-9633 Avis   [1] (800) 331-1212 Budget   [1] (800) 527-0700 Dollar  [1] (800) 800-4000 Hertz  [1] (800) 654-3131 National   [1] (800) 227-7368 All of these companies maintain websites. AUTO RENTAL NUMBERS Chicago Downtown Alamo Rent A Car 3800 N Mannheim Rd. Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel: [1] (847) 671-7662 Fax: [1] (847) 671-5189 Avis Rent A Car North Loop-Downtown 214 N Clark St., (Clark and Wacker) Chicago IL, 60601 Tel: [1] (312) 782-6827 Budget  4250 W Diversy Chicago, IL Tel: [1] (773) 283-1800 1135 West Armitage Chicago, IL 60614 Tel: [1] (773) 686-6800 181 W Washington Chicago, IL 60601 Tel: [1] (773) 686-6800 Enterprise 303 W. Lake St. Chicago, IL 60606-1703 Tel: [1] (312) 332-7783 Hertz  401 North State Street Chicago Tel: [1] (312) 372-7600 Fax: [1] (312) 222-9830 Chicago Bank One 76 West Monroe Street Chicago Tel: [1] (312) 726-1476 Fax: [1] (312) 726-1481 O'Hare Airport Alamo Chicago O'Hare Int'l. Airport 3800 N. Mannheim Road Franklin Park Chicago, IL 60131 Tel: [1] (847) 671-7662 Fax: [1] (847) 671-5189 Avis Chicago O'Hare Int'l. Airport Chicago, IL 60666 Tel: [1] (773) 825-4600 Budget O'Hare Airport Chicago, IL 60666 Tel: [1] (773) 686-6800 Enterprise O'Hare Airport 4025 Manheim Schiller Park, IL 60176-1874 Tel: [1] (847) 928-3320 HertzO'Hare Airport 10000 Bessie Coleman Drive P.O. Box 66096 Tel: [1] (773) 686-7272 Fax: [1] (773) 582-6350 Midway Airport Alamo Chicago Midway Airport/Shuttle 6525 S Cicero Ave. Chicago, IL 60638 Tel: [1] (773) 581-4531 Fax: [1] (773) 581-2822 Budget Midway Airport 5829 South Cicero Avenue Chicago, IL 60638 Tel: [1] (773) 686-6800 DD Midway Airport On Site 5701 South Cicero Chicago, IL 60632-4938 Tel: [1] (773) 735-8860 Hertz Midway Airport 5700 South Cicero Avenue Chicago, IL  Tel: [1] (773) 735-7272 Fax: [1] (773) 582-6350 Houston Avis 477 Bay Area Blvd. Clearlake Tel: [1] (281) 488-4995 Champions 5050 FM 1960 West Tel: [1] (281) 880-6800 George Bush Intercontinental Airport 4931 Wright Rd. Tel: [1] (713) 443-5800 Houston Galleria 4825 Richmond Ave. Tel: [1] (713) 629-7230 Budget 12841 Gulf Freeway Tel: [1] (281) 484-4446 7765 Airport Blvd. Tel: [1] (713) 643-2519 North Loop West Tel: [1] (713) 869-5171 Galleria Mall 4733 Richmond Tel: [1] (713) 840-8326 Houston Hobby Intercontinental Airport 15720 J.F.K. Blvd. Tel: [1] (281) 449-0538 Fax: [1] (281) 449-2136 Radisson Astrodome Hotel 8686 Kirby Dr. Tel: [1] (713) 797-9624 Fax: [1] (713) 790-9676 Southwest Hilton 6780 Southwest Freeway Tel: [1] (713) 974-5542 Fax: [1] (713) 974-6858 Dollar Hobby Airport 7979 Airport Blvd. Tel: [1] (713) 641-5961 Hertz  Houston Intercontinental Airport 5050 Wright Bros Road Houston Tel: [1] (281) 443-0800 Fax: [1] (281) 230-3637 Westin Galleria Hotel 5060 West Alabama Tel: [1] (713) 629-0190 Street Eagle Harley Rentals 1283 Westheimer  Houston Tel: [1] (281) 679-8200 Email: sehouston@streeteagle.com Hourly, daily, weekly rentals of late model Harley Davidson motorcycles. Thrifty 15845 JFK Boulevard Tel: [1] (281) 442-5000 8833 Airport Blvd. Tel: [1] (713) 622-4032 Los Angeles Affordable West Hollywood 1040 N. La Brea Avenue West Hollywood Tel: [1] (323) 467-7182 Avis Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 646-5600 2509 W Olive (1 block west of Buena Vista) Burbank, CA 91505 Tel: [1] (818) 972-2660 Hollywood-Burbank Airport 2627 Hollywood Way, between Van Owen and San Fernando Burbank, CA 91500 Tel: [1] (818) 566-3001 Avon Rent A Car 7080 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood Tel: [1] (323) 850-0826 Budget  8789 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood Toll-free: [1] (800) 825-5025 Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 645-4500 Union Station 800 North Alameda Tel: [1] (213) 617-2977 Dollar Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 645-9333 Enterprise Rent A Car 8583 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood Tel: [1] (310) 360-0104 Hertz Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 646-4861 South Bay Area 3635 Fashion Way Los Angeles Tel: [1] (310) 316-3855 Fax: [1] (310) 429-2781 National  Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 670-4950 Thrifty Los Angeles International Airport Tel: [1] (310) 645-1880 Shooshani Avon Rent A Car 8459 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood Tel: [1] (323) 650-2631 Thrifty Car Rental 9060 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood Tel: [1] (310) 860-9543 Miami Miami now offers a parking meter debit card providing a cashless way to use the new electronic parking meters. Purchase the cards at participating hotels and merchants or from: CMB Parking   [1] (305) 673-7505 Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce [1] (305) 672-1270 Alamo Tel: [1] (305) 633-4132 Toll-free: [1] (800) 327-9633 Avis Dodge Island Pier 7 903 S America Way Miami FL, 33132 Tel: [1] (305) 377-2531 Toll-free: [1] (800) 331-1212 Miami Int'l. Airport 2330 NW 37th Ave. Miami, FL 33142 Tel: [1] (305) 341-0936 South Miami 8330 S Dixie Hwy Dadeland Station Shopping Center Miami FL, 33143 Tel: [1] (305) 661-6414 Budget Tel: [1] (305) 871-3053 Toll-free: [1] (800) 527-0700 Dollar Tel: [1] (305) 887-6000 Toll-free: [1] (800) 800-4000 Esquire Limousine and Bodyguard Service Tel: [1] (305) 358-5599 Florida Auto Rental 4021 NW 26th St. Miami Tel: [1] (305) 871-9339 Fax: [1] (305) 871-1884 Toll-free: [1] (800) 327-3791 Hertz Miami International Airport 3795 Northwest 21st Street Miami Tel: [1] (305) 871-0300 Toll-free: [1] (800) 654-3131 Fax: [1] (305) 876-9108 Port of Miami 3795 N.W. 21st Street Miami Tel: [1] (305) 871-0300 Toll-free: [1] (800) 654-3131 National Rent-A-Car NW 33rd Ave. Miami 33142 Tel: [1] (305) 638-1026 Toll-free: [1] (800) 227-7368 Fax: [1] (305) 364-7840 Protective Limousine Service  Tel: [1] (305) 255-3636 Royal Rent A Car Miami International Airport 1406 N.W. 42nd. Avenue (Le Jeune Road) Miami 33126-0706 Tel: [1] (305) 871-3000 Fax: [1] (305) 870-0706 Email: miami@royalrac.com Specialty Van Rentals 3970 NW 25th St. Miami 33142 Tel: [1] (305) 871-2770 Toll-free: [1] (888) 871-2770 Fax: [1] (305) 871-2430 Starline Limousine and Bus Co. Tel: [1] (305) 635-9600 Thrifty Miami Airport 2875 N.W. 42nd Ave. Tel: [1] (305) 871-5050 Toll-free: [1] (800) 367-2277 VIP Rent-A-Car 3995 NW 25th St. Miami 33142 Tel: [1] (305) 871-6554 Fax: [1] (305) 871-3542 New York City ABC Car Rental 220 E 9th St., New York Tel: [1] (212) 989-7260 Autorent Car Rental Corporation 433 E 76th St. New York Tel: [1] (212) 517-8900 Budget Rent A Car 225 E 43rd St. New York Tel: [1] (212) 807-8700 304 W 49th St. Tel: [1] (212) 807-8700 207 W 76th St. Tel: [1] (212) 807-8700 Dollar Rent A Car 329 E 22nd St. New York Tel: [1] (212) 420-0870 156 W 54th St. Tel: [1] (212) 362-1441 157 E 84th St. Tel: [1] (212) 861-2525 Hertz Rent A Car 20 Morton St. New York Tel: [1] (212) 989-0807 152 W 57th St. Tel: [1] (212) 373-6400 San Francisco Alamo Tel: [1] (415) 693-0191 Toll-free: [1] (800) 327-9633 Avis Tel: [1] (415) 885-5011 Toll-free: [1] (800) 331-1212 Budget Tel: [1] (415) 775-5800 Toll-free: [1] (800) 527-0700 Hertz  Tel: [1] (415) 771-2200 Toll-free: [1] (800) 654-3131 National Tel: [1] (415) 474-5300 Toll-free: [1] (800) 328-4567 Seattle Avis Seattle Tacoma Int'l. Airport Pacific Hwy South Seattle, WA 98158 Tel: [1] (206) 448-1700 Toll-free: [1] (800) 331-1212 Monday through Sunday 24hrs 1919 5th Ave Seattle, WA 98101 Tel: [1] (206) 448-1700 Hours: Monday through Friday 7a.m. to 7p.m., Saturday 8a.m. to 5p.m., Sunday 8a.m. to 5p.m. BudgetSea-Tac Intl Airport Seattle, WA 98158 Tel: [1] (206) 431-8800 17808 Pacific Hwy South Seattle, WA 98158 Tel: [1] (206) 244-4008 Dollar Sea-Tac Intl Airport Seattle, WA 98168 Tel: [1] (206) 433-5825 Fax: [1] (206) 433-6753 1900 Boren Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 Tel: [1] (206) 682-1316 Fax: [1] (206) 381-3908 Enterprise Sea-Tac Intl Airport 15667 International Blvd Tel: [1] (206) 246-1953 Hertz Seattle Tacoma Airport 17801 Pacific Hwy S # 301 Tel: [1] (206) 248-1300 Fax: [1] (206) 248-3071 Hours: Monday through Sunday 24 hours a day. Seatac Marriott Hotel 3201 S. 176th St. 3201 South 176th Street Seattle, WA Tel: [1] (206) 433-5275 Hours: Monday through Friday 7a.m. to 5p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8a.m. to 1p.m. Washington, D.C. Avis Tel: [1] (800) 331-1212 Budget Tel: [1] (800) 527-0700 Dollar Tel: [1] (800) 800-4000 Hertz Tel: [1] (800) 654-3131 National Tel: [1] (800) 328-4567 Ogilvie Transportation Services  Tel: [1] (301) 598-0591 Toll-free: [1] (800) 406-2227 Web: www.otslimo.com Limousine service. United Transportation Inc. Tel: [1] (888) 881-4443 Web: www.utilimo.com Limousine service.